Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16H—GEARING
  • F16H61/00—Control functions within control units of change-speed- or reversing-gearings for conveying rotary motion ; Control of exclusively fluid gearing, friction gearing, gearings with endless flexible members or other particular types of gearing
  • F16H61/38—Control of exclusively fluid gearing
  • F16H61/40—Control of exclusively fluid gearing hydrostatic
  • F16H61/4043—Control of a bypass valve
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16H—GEARING
  • F16H47/00—Combinations of mechanical gearing with fluid clutches or fluid gearing
  • F16H47/02—Combinations of mechanical gearing with fluid clutches or fluid gearing the fluid gearing being of the volumetric type
  • F16H47/04—Combinations of mechanical gearing with fluid clutches or fluid gearing the fluid gearing being of the volumetric type the mechanical gearing being of the type with members having orbital motion
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16H—GEARING
  • F16H37/00—Combinations of mechanical gearings, not provided for in groups F16H1/00 - F16H35/00
  • F16H37/02—Combinations of mechanical gearings, not provided for in groups F16H1/00 - F16H35/00 comprising essentially only toothed or friction gearings
  • F16H37/06—Combinations of mechanical gearings, not provided for in groups F16H1/00 - F16H35/00 comprising essentially only toothed or friction gearings with a plurality of driving or driven shafts; with arrangements for dividing torque between two or more intermediate shafts
  • F16H37/08—Combinations of mechanical gearings, not provided for in groups F16H1/00 - F16H35/00 comprising essentially only toothed or friction gearings with a plurality of driving or driven shafts; with arrangements for dividing torque between two or more intermediate shafts with differential gearing
  • F16H37/0833—Combinations of mechanical gearings, not provided for in groups F16H1/00 - F16H35/00 comprising essentially only toothed or friction gearings with a plurality of driving or driven shafts; with arrangements for dividing torque between two or more intermediate shafts with differential gearing with arrangements for dividing torque between two or more intermediate shafts, i.e. with two or more internal power paths
  • F16H37/084—Combinations of mechanical gearings, not provided for in groups F16H1/00 - F16H35/00 comprising essentially only toothed or friction gearings with a plurality of driving or driven shafts; with arrangements for dividing torque between two or more intermediate shafts with differential gearing with arrangements for dividing torque between two or more intermediate shafts, i.e. with two or more internal power paths at least one power path being a continuously variable transmission, i.e. CVT
  • F16H2037/088—Power split variators with summing differentials, with the input of the CVT connected or connectable to the input shaft
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16H—GEARING
  • F16H2200/00—Transmissions for multiple ratios
  • F16H2200/20—Transmissions using gears with orbital motion
  • F16H2200/2002—Transmissions using gears with orbital motion characterised by the number of sets of orbital gears
  • F16H2200/2005—Transmissions using gears with orbital motion characterised by the number of sets of orbital gears with one sets of orbital gears
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T74/00—Machine element or mechanism
  • Y10T74/15—Intermittent grip type mechanical movement
  • Y10T74/1503—Rotary to intermittent unidirectional motion
  • Y10T74/1505—Automatically controlled
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T74/00—Machine element or mechanism
  • Y10T74/15—Intermittent grip type mechanical movement
  • Y10T74/1503—Rotary to intermittent unidirectional motion
  • Y10T74/1505—Automatically controlled
  • Y10T74/1506—Speed
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T74/00—Machine element or mechanism
  • Y10T74/15—Intermittent grip type mechanical movement
  • Y10T74/1503—Rotary to intermittent unidirectional motion
  • Y10T74/1524—Intermittently engaged clutch

Definitions

• This invention relates generally to transmissions for varying the output torque of engines and, preferably, to an automotive transmission of the type in which the torque and speed of an engine drive can be continuously and infinitely varied from vehicle start-up through normal highway driving.
• the above-identified Gleasman IVT which is improved by the invention disclosed herein, has relatively small physical proportions and can be scaled up or down for use in smaller vehicles as well as large semi-trucks. Also, the tests of our earlier experimental prototype (referred to above) indicate that this IVT should significantly reduce the pollutants emanating from a diesel engine combined with this IVT.
• the improved transmission disclosed herein incorporates the general format of the two identical orbiter differentials disclosed in our just-cited steer-drive patent.
• this improvement only a single orbiter is used in a new combination that includes a relatively minor but significant change that, if heretofore appreciated, could have been made to Ford's Model T transmission over 90 years ago.
• This minor change not only simplifies the orbiter mechanism of the IVT but, for automotive uses, provides a remarkable increase in efficiency and an even further reduction in size and weight.
• an input gear and an output gear being connected, respectively, to separate input and output shafts, are both mounted along the same first axis and interconnected through a cluster gear that meshes with only the input and output gears.
• the cluster gear is mounted for rotation on an orbit shaft that is positioned parallel with the first axis and carried by a web that is itself mounted for rotation about the first axis.
• the orbit shaft and the cluster gear orbit, respectively, both the first axis and the input and output gears.
• the orbiting web of this minimal gear arrangement is connected to a control motor so that: (a) if the control motor prevents rotation of the orbiter web, the output gear rotates directly with the input drive but solely at a predetermined reduction of the input drive; (b) if the control motor is rotated in a first ("forward") direction, the predetermined reduction of the output gear relative to the input drive is diminished proportional to the speed that the control motor rotates the web; (c) if the control motor is rotated in the opposite ("rearward") direction at a predetermined relatively slow speed, the output gear comes to a stop, in effect providing a "geared neutral" in which torque is applied to the web to hold the vehicle in a stopped position for start-up and when stopping in traffic; and (d) finally, when the vehicle reaches highway speeds, the control motor is disconnected from the orbiter web which is then connected with the input drive shaft through a predetermined overdrive gear ratio that causes the transmission to rotate the output drive shaft faster than the engine drive by the predetermined overdrive.
• This just-mentioned overdrive is located between the engine drive and the transmission rather than being conventionally positioned between the transmission and the final output shaft. Therefore, the overdrive of the invention is subjected only to engine torque rather than being subjected to the higher torque generated by the gear reductions of the transmission. Thus, the overdrive of the invention can be made substantially smaller and lighter, providing further reductions in weight and size when compared to conventional transmissions.
• the preferred hydraulic pump/motor embodiment of the invention includes a valve-regulated "by-pass" in the closed-loop hydraulic circuitry shared by the pump/motor combination that permits the control motor to be reversed by the idling speed rotation of the input gear without disengaging the first clutch.
• this improved transmission uses only a few overdrive gears in addition to the minimal functional gearing included in its single orbiter.
• the minimal orbital transmission of the invention can be bolstered to meet increased torque loads, without changing the gear reduction ratio " provided by the web-mounted cluster gear, by the addition of one, two, or three identical cluster gears carried on the same web.
• gear reduction e.g., for large truck start-up
• valve-regulated "by-pass" in the closed-loop hydraulic circuitry as a safety device for preventing pressure overload in the closed loop hydraulic fluid circuit connecting the hydraulic pump and motor
• FIG. 1 is a schematic and partially cross-sectional view of the basic transmission, showing the minimal orbiter, control motor combination, and operational clutches connected to a drive engine.
• FIG. 2 is a schematic and partially cross-sectional view of the jaw clutch illustrated only symbolically in FIG. 1.
• FIG. 3 is a schematic and partially cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the hydraulic control pump/motor combination, showing the closed-loop hydraulic circuitry with the valve-regulated "by-pass" of the invention.
• an engine 10 is shown connected to the invention's simple transmission that comprises only (a) a minimal orbiter 12 and (b) a control motor 14 (e.g., an electric motor or, preferably, a variable hydraulic motor) in combination with a variable hydraulic pump (or an electric generator) 16.
• a control motor 14 e.g., an electric motor or, preferably, a variable hydraulic motor
• a variable hydraulic pump or an electric generator
• Orbiter 12 comprises only an input gear 20 and output gear 22, both mounted for rotation about a first axis 24, and a cluster gear 26 mounted for rotation about a second axis 28 parallel with first axis 24.
• Input gear 20 is fixed for rotation with the drive shaft 30 of engine 10
• output gear 22 is fixed for rotation with an output shaft 32.
• Cluster gear 26 is fixed to an orbit shaft 33 supported for rotation in a web 34, and web 34 is itself mounted to rotate about first axis 24, thereby permitting orbit shaft 33 and cluster gear 26 to orbit, respectively, about first axis 24, as well as about input gear 20 and output gear 22.
• Cluster gear 26 has two sets of gear teeth 36, 38 that mesh, respectively, with the teeth of input gear 20 and output gear 22.
• gear tooth ratios between input gear 20 and cluster gear teeth 36, and between cluster gear teeth 38 and output gear 22, are selected so that, when rotation of web 34 is prevented, output gear 22 rotates at a predetermined reduction of rotation df input gear 20.
• gear tooth ratios are selected as follows: Gear No. of Teeth
• output gear 22 rotates at a reduction of approximately 4.8:1 of the rotation of input gear 20.
• a gear 40 Fixed to the outside of web 34 is a gear 40 that meshes with a motor gear 42 that is connectable to motor shaft 44 by a first clutch 46 that, preferably, is a simple jaw clutch such as that shown in Fig. 2 (discussed further below).
• motor shaft 44 is driven by a hydraulic control motor 14 and, when connected by clutch 46, rotates motor gear 42 and web gear 40 in a 1 :1 relationship.
• Control motor 14 is operated, in turn, by hydraulic fluid delivered from a hydraulic pump 16 through a "closed-loop" hydraulic circuit 48.
• An auxiliary drive gear 50 that is fixed to engine drive shaft 30 causes the rotation of a smaller first mating gear 51 and pump shaft 52 at a predetermined overdrive (e.g., 0.7:1). This overdrive of hydraulic pump 16 is discussed further below.
• hydraulic pump 16 to create a direction and flow of hydraulic fluid for control motor 14 in accordance with the adjusted angle of the swash-plate (not shown) of pump 16. While hydraulic motor 14 is also described as being variable (i.e., having a variable swash-plate), its swash-plate (not shown) is generally positioned at a predetermined angle equal to the maximum adjusted angle of the swash-plate of pump 16 so that the rotation of motor 14 varies proportionally in accordance with the direction of flow and the amount of fluid being provided at any time by pump 16 up to the maximum rotation of pump 16.
• control motor 14 controls the rotation of web 34 and determines the continuous and infinitely-variable gear ratios of this improved transmission.
• control motor 14 When first clutch 46 is engaged, control motor 14 is connected to web 34; and, if the swash-plate of pump 16 is set at 0°, the rotation of pump shaft 52 results in no movement of hydraulic fluid out of pump 16. This stops all flow of fluid through closed-loop 48 and locks control motor 14 against all movement, thereby preventing rotation of web 34 and causing output gear 22 to rotate only at the predetermined low gear ratio determined by the selection of the number of teeth in the gears as just noted above.
• auxiliary drive gear 50 is also in mesh with a second mating gear 56 that is identical to first mating gear 51 and, thus, rotates at the same predetermined overdrive (e.g., 0.7:1) at which gear 51 is driven by auxiliary drive gear 50.
• gear 56 initially "free-wheels", being disconnected from the rest of the transmission by a second clutch 54 that is normally disengaged.
• second clutch 54 connects shafts 57, 58 and, thereby, causes an overdrive gear 59 to rotate with gear 56 at the same predetermined, overdrive.
• Second clutch 54 is preferably a simple jaw clutch such as that shown in Fig. 2.
• Fixed to the respective ends " of connecting shafts 57, 58 are respective spur gears 72, 74.
• a sliding jaw 76 which is loosely mounted over shaft 58, has internal mating spur teeth 78. In the position, shown, internal teeth 78 are in mesh with only the teeth of spur gear 72 so that jaw 76 rotates only with spur gear 72 and shaft 57, rotating freely over the surface of shaft 58 and permitting the shafts to rotate independently of each other.
• jaw 76 when jaw 76 is moved to the right, its internal teeth enter into mesh with the teeth of spur gear 74 as well as maintaining their meshing relationship with the teeth of spur gear 72, thereby engaging a connection between shafts
• first clutch 46 is disengaged, and second clutch 54 is engaged. This releases the connection between web 34 and control motor 14 and, at the same time, connects overdrive gear 59 to rotate with gear 56.
• Overdrive gear 59 is in 1 :1 mesh with a second web gear 70 that, like first web gear 40, is also fixed to web 34 but on the opposite side.
• gear 56 is rotated by auxiliary drive gear 50 at the same predetermined overdrive (e.g., 0.7:1) as are gear 51 , pump 16, motor 14, and first web gear 40.
• the swash- plate of pump 16 is at this time readjusted to its 0° position so that the rotation of pump shaft 52 produces no movement of hydraulic fluid out of pump 16, thereby stopping all flow of fluid through closed-loop 48 and locking control motor 14 against all movement.
• the hydraulic system ceases to function, and its load on engine 10 is minimal.
• hydraulic motor 14 may be variable. Therefore, an alternative overdrive arrangement could be achieved by adjusting the swash-plate of motor 14 relative to its normal setting referred to above.
• control motor 14 will rotate in the opposite ("rearward") direction at some predetermined relatively slow speed that will cause output gear 22 to come to a full stop. Since this slow speed operation of control motor 14 is being produced by the flow of hydraulic fluid, this in effect provides a "geared neutral" in which web 34 is held by a constant torque in a stopped position for start-up and when stopping in traffic.
• FIG. 3 shows a valve-regulated "by- pass” assembly 60 incorporated in closed-loop hydraulic circuitry 48 shared by pump 16 and motor 14.
• 61 , 62 connect the opposite sides of closed-loop 48 and pass through a cylinder 64, being blocked by the piston portions 65 of a spool valve 66.
• a pair of stems 68, 69 are located on spool valve 66 so that, when spool valve 66 is moved to the left in the direction of the arrow, stems 68, 69 permit hydraulic fluid to flow through by-pass passageways 61 ,
• a sensor 80 is responsive to upper and lower levels in selected parameters of vehicle operation (e.g., vehicle speed and/or hydraulic pressure in closed-loop 48). Sensing a first level of these selected parameters causes spool valve 66 to move to the left to open passageways 61 , 62 (e.g., whenever the vehicle speed is reduced and approaches a stopped condition), while sensing a second level restores valve 66 to the position illustrated, returning closed-loop hydraulic circuit 48 to its normal condition.
• selected parameters of vehicle operation e.g., vehicle speed and/or hydraulic pressure in closed-loop 48.
• by-pass assembly 60 can be used to reduce the load of the transmission during engine start-up, thereby replacing a vehicle's flywheel clutch.
• sensor 80 can be used to sense a significant change in fluid pressure in closed-loop hydraulic circuit 48, by-pass assembly 60 can also serve as a safety device, preventing any exceptional overload of the hydraulic system.
• Power takeoff gear 86 is. driven by second mating gear 56 that, as explained above,, rotates at a predetermined overdrive (e.g., 0.7:1). Power takeoff gear 86 generally "free-wheels", being disconnected from power takeoff shaft 84 by normally disengaged clutch 88. However, when clutch 88 is engaged, power takeoff shaft 84 also rotates at the predetermined overdrive to operate auxiliary equipment.
• a predetermined overdrive e.g. 0.7:1
• clutch 88 When clutch 88 is engaged, power takeoff shaft 84 also rotates at the predetermined overdrive to operate auxiliary equipment.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Structure Of Transmissions (AREA)
• Control Of Transmission Device (AREA)
• Arrangement Of Transmissions (AREA)

Priority Applications (8)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Publications (2)

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• 2002
  • 2002-08-28 US US10/229,785 patent/US6748817B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2002-11-21 MX MXPA04007626A patent/MXPA04007626A/es active IP Right Grant
  • 2002-11-21 CN CNB028280369A patent/CN100507315C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2002-11-21 EP EP02798462A patent/EP1481176B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2002-11-21 WO PCT/US2002/037438 patent/WO2003071159A2/en active Search and Examination
  • 2002-11-21 BR BR0215595-8A patent/BR0215595A/pt active Pending
  • 2002-11-21 DE DE60235726T patent/DE60235726D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2002-11-21 CA CA002475453A patent/CA2475453C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2002-11-21 JP JP2003570033A patent/JP4181048B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2002-11-21 KR KR1020047012609A patent/KR100544220B1/ko not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2002-11-21 AU AU2002363946A patent/AU2002363946B2/en not_active Ceased

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